Studio Profile
modern contextual architecture and design
Who We Are
CityDeskStudio is a collaborative, idea-driven architectural practice. The name CityDeskStudio expresses our interest in the scales and connections that allow architecture to transcend ink and paper, brick and mortar. The boundless “City” is a system of tenuous spatial relationships, the “Desk” is a product of craftsmanship, a singular vision achieved through intense focus, and the “Studio” is our work, anchored in respect for people and the world. With every project, we actively engage with these elements and integrate them into the design to make it the best that it can be.
What We Believe
We believe that we are most engaged with life when we are active, asking questions, challenging preconceptions, and pursuing inspiration to reimagine the world. We believe that architecture can express and encourage this vital activity while upholding the comforting, relative constants of our lives. As architects and designers, we seek to create buildings that emerge from this engagement. We believe that the built world can elevate our everyday experiences. From the organization of rooms to the interactions of light and shadow, the materials and even the position of a single object, architecture supports the ways we live and the things we love, including rituals we call our own and others shared with family, friends, and the natural world. By lending focus to our lives, architecture can elevate the ordinary and heighten the sacred moments.
Our Process
Great architecture emerges from the hands and hearts of everyone involved, including the client, the builders, and the architects. We are grateful to take part in this exciting process and we are honored to help our clients bring a new vision for their home to life. We find that our best work happens when our clients care deeply about design and are actively engaged in the process. We truly enjoy the collaboration and we listen carefully, observe closely all the conditions of the project, and then explore and test the possibilities for the design. Our goal is to design a home that supports the way you live, with cohesiveness, clarity, improved usefulness and an enduring connection to nature and the site, while offering inherent flexibility to evolve and grow with you over time.
Studio Team
Ben Awes AIA / Principal and Founder
A modernist at heart, Ben believes architecture must reflect today while pointing to the future. For him, practice of architecture a daily challenge that is both humbling and greatly rewarding. He believes architecture gains richness and meaning through an understanding and exploration of its physical, social and historical context.
"Architecture is a human expression of our understanding of our place in the world and our relationships with each other and the things around us. Through architecture, we achieve shelter, but more importantly, we find meaning, permanence and identity, and we concretize our understanding of these things in buildings."
- Ben Awes
Ben came to architecture through furniture design and fabrication, talents that come to life in his passion for materiality and assembly. Prior to founding CityDeskStudio, he worked for Ralph Rapson and Julie Snow Architects.
Olivia Solari Assoc. AIA / Project Designer
Olivia is attracted to the balance of an impactful overall design to the small, delightful details that engage with the human body in everyday life.
“I find the dualities of architecture most intriguing, from its joining of the ephemeral nature of spatial design with the rigid absolutes of mathematics, to its capacity to simultaneously act as a monument to the present while serving as a change-maker for future societies.”
-Olivia Solari
Born and raised in Texas, Olivia graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Guided by her motto of “change of place, change of pace,” she moved to the Twin Cities. Her career has allowed her to pursue a variety of project types, from schools and civic centers to apartments, but she returned to residential design when she found herself longing for the care and attention the human scale requires.
Outside of work, Olivia enjoys trying every restaurant that piques her interest, exploring the natural wonders of Minnesota, and attempting to learn yet another skill (she’s currently honing her Danish and teaching herself to crochet).
Daniel Winden / Project Designer
Prior to joining CityDeskStudio, Dan worked for Julie Snow Architects and MSR Design. He has worked on a wide range of building types including government, institutional, academic, and residential projects. Dan also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture.
“I see architecture as a discipline born of a deep desire to make the world human and beautiful. It connects us to our immediate needs and daily practices; but also, to the loftier realms of art and culture, our place in the world.”
-Daniel
Dan studied philosophy and religion at St. Olaf College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also spent a year studying religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School before attending the University of Minnesota School of Architecture, where he earned his M.Arch degree.
Lauren Hobday / Design Intern
Lauren was drawn to architecture as a career that allows her to channel her creative passions towards shaping the way people experience and interact with their built environment.
“I enjoy the problem-solving process that comes with designing spaces that are both beautiful and functional, while also prioritizing sustainability and public interest.”
-Lauren Hobday
Lauren is currently pursuing a B.S. in Architecture at the University of Minnesota. In her free time, she likes walking her dog, skiing, traveling, and trying out new restaurants
Perri Kinsman / Project Architect
Perri was studying art history in college when she fell in love with a class on Japanese contemporary design and decided to pursue architecture. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with an M.Arch degree.
“I believe architecture should be contextual, thoughtful, and useful, and inspire joy.”
-Perri Kinsman
Perri has designed libraries, airports, art installations and other projects in the Twin Cities and Boston, but she favors the intimacy and scale of residential design. She enjoys the daily challenges and triumphs of working in a profession that strives to thoughtfully fuse art and engineering.
Perri grew up on the East Coast, so when she’s not in the studio, she likes to explore the cities with her family. She’s also renovating her home and teaching herself rug hooking.
Sarah Gastler Assoc. AIA/ Project Designer
A curious person by nature, Sarah applies an attitude of inquiry to whatever she is designing. Originally from New England, she appreciates the endurance of the built environment and how it forges meaningful connections between our collective history and the future.
“I believe good design adds delight to daily living and deepens our experience with the present moment.”
-Sarah Gastler
Sarah received her M.Arch from the University of Minnesota, where she has also taught design workshops as an adjunct professor. She graduated from Green Mountain College with a degree in Environmental Studies: Renewable Energy and Ecological Design.
Outside of work, Sarah is often out interacting with the world, making art and traveling. Her design interests are also reflected in her hobbies of fashion, furniture design and classic cars.